3rd Annual Humsaya Theatre for Peace festival is drawing huge crowds and extensive media interest in Amritsar. The six-day festival has been organised by Ajoka Theatre in collaboration with India’s Manch Rang Manch to mark the 70th anniversary of the partition.
The festival opened on March 15 at Virsa Vihar festival with Manch Rang Manch’s “Pul Sirat”, a play about the story of a Muslim woman abducted during the Partition riots and eventually married to a Sikh.
The play was written by eminent India playwrights Sawrajbir and directed by Kewal Dhalliwal. Speaking on the occasion, Ajoka’s Shahid Nadeem appreciated the message of peace and humanism in the play. He said the Humsaya festival was an effort by theatre groups of India and Pakistan to promote peace and goodwill through art. On the second day of the festival Ajoka presented its much acclaimed play “Mera Rang Day Basanti Chola, based on the life and sacrifice of freedom struggle hero Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The play has been written by Shahid Nadeem and directed by Madeeha Gauhar. The play was profusely applauded by a packed to capacity Virsa Hall auditorium. A documentary by Nirvaan Nadeem, who played the role of Bhagat Singh titled “Becoming Bhagat Singh”, was also screened on the occasion.
Earlier, the festival was launched at a media conference at Amritsar Art Gallery which was addressed by Kewal Dhaliwal and Madeeha Gauhar who underlined the objectives of the festival.
